Karina's Cranberry Pot Roast Stew

Warm Your Body (& Celiac Soul)

What could be more comforting as we face the chilly New Year than a slow roasted one-dish supper? Not to mention, easier. Especially after all the hustle and bustle of last week's holiday celebrations. All the sugar. And latkes. And eggnog. And hoopla. I'm exhausted just imagining it. So I'll stop. And share a recipe instead- a tasty little number I tossed together in my trusty Crock Pot over the weekend- a cranberry laced pot roast stew that cooked its sweet 'n savory heart out while I walked in snowy woods.

So, Happy Monday, Dear Heart. It's a brand new week. And I offer up this warming flavorful stew to help you recover from holiday stress and travel and whatever kind of wacky, weird or wonderful family stuff you dealt with over the big collective craziness we call Christmas.

Take a deep breath.

Slide on your toasty new slippers.

And slow cook a bowl of spoon-licking winter goodness.

Karina's Cranberry Pot Roast Stew Recipe

By Karina Allrich

This recipe was an intuitive toss-together inspiration stemming from my love of Jewish cooking and its artful mingle of tart and sweet flavors.

Vegetarians and vegans, I don't see why you couldn't make a version of this stew sans meat. Add your favorite vegan protein- beans, chick peas, tofu or gluten-free tempeh.

Ingredients:Extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

5 scallions (spring onions) or 1 leek, sliced

4 medium carrots, trimmed, sliced

2 cups button mushrooms, sliced

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, diced

2 lb. organic grass fed beef or buffalo pot roast

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

3/4 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice

1 cup red wine

2 tablespoons good ketchup

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup or raw agave nectar, to taste

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons thyme

Broth or water, as needed

Instructions:

Turn on your slow cooker to low. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil in the bottom. Stir in the garlic. Add in the scallions, carrots, mushrooms and sweet potato; mix to combine. Sprinkle sea salt and ground pepper all over the roast. Place it in the crock on top of the veggies. Add in the cranberries, cranberry juice, wine, ketchup, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, spices, thyme. Add enough broth or water to almost cover the veggies. Or add more liquid if you prefer more of a brothy stew.

Cover and cook on low until the roast is fall-apart tender.

I started with a semi-frozen roast and cooked it for 12 hours at high altitude. Please follow your manufacturer's instructions for cooking a roast with veggies. To be safe, the internal temperature of the roast should reach 160 to 170ºF.

Before you serve, taste test the broth and see if it needs tweaking- more salt? A pinch of sugar? You want to round out and balance the tastes. I kept mine on the slightly tart side, because that's how we prefer it, but you might like it slightly sweeter or saltier.

Serve as a brothy stew. Or... remove the roast, and thicken the sauce into a gravy with a tablespoon of tapioca starch; heat through for twenty minutes or so till thickened.

Makes four hearty servings.

The second day, this stew was even tastier. We served it on top of grilled wedges of Skillet Cornbread.

GF DESIGNS @ CAFE PRESS

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FYI INFO

About this blog:

A tumult of water has churned beneath the bridge known as the Gluten-Free Goddess blog (born in 2005). And with that current, many changes. The highlights:

My husband and I have moved more than a half dozen times (artists with empty nests like to explore), lived in six different states, tried eating dairy-free (for seven years) and baking vegan (for five), shunning gluten 100% (still do). Along the way I've created roughly 400 recipes for you. All are gluten-free, some may also be dairy-free, and some may be vegan/egg free. All were developed in my own humble kitchen(s). From Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas to Apple Crisp I have focused on tasty, seasonal, family style cooking. The kind of food we actually cook here at Casa Allrich.

Bio::

Publisher and recipe developer Karina- aka Gluten-Free Goddess- discovered she was gluten intolerant in late 2001- after a decade of unseemly, classic celiac symptoms. She has been cooking and baking gluten-free ever since, serving up hundreds of original recipes on her popular food blog, launched in late fall 2005.